Conference highlights importance of humanities in menopause research

09 July 2024

Conference highlights importance of humanities in menopause research

‘New Perspectives on the Menopause’ emphasised the significance of humanities expertise in improving mid-life and menopause health and wellbeing.

Attendees and panelists at the 'New Perspectives on the Menopause' conference, hosted at King's College London on 15 June 2024.

Organised by Professor Siobhán McIlvanney and Felicity Moffat from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the conference was made up of four panels that looked at the experiences of menopause in different cultures and contexts, including the workplace, mediatic representations, and biocultural and historical discourses.

Humanities academics and PhD students, as well as doctors and menopause advisors, presented their research to showcase the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to understanding the menopause.

King’s should be congratulated for this conference on menopause that brought people together from a variety of disciplines to foster cross-cutting, innovative ideas around the mid-life and beyond. The papers, conversations and the unique and vibrant intellectual atmosphere really helped advance our understanding of how to better support menopausal health - and menopausal lives.
Kathleen Riach, Professor of Organization Studies, University of Glasgow

The plenary on 'Alterity in Menopause: Organizing Changing Bodies Beyond a Hostile Character' was presented by Kathleen Riach, Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Glasgow.

With participants from as far afield as the United Arab Emirates and United States, the event facilitated improved global understanding of the menopause.

Given how multi-faceted this stage of life is, it is critical to include people working in the humanities, and the social, biological, and medical sciences to generate holistic understanding and approaches to the mid-life and the menopause. Discussions stimulated new cross-disciplinary collaborations that will be key to addressing challenges as populations age worldwide.
Melissa K. Melby, Professor of Anthropology, University of Delaware

In this story

Professor Siobhán McIlvanney

Professor of French and Francophone Women's Writing

Related departments

Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

15Jun

New Perspectives on the Menopause

15 June 2024 09:45

A one-day cross disciplinary conference discussing recent developments in researching and understanding the menopause.